Well, I guess you could say I'm attempting my second vbac. My first vbac attempt ended in a repeat cesarean. It's a long story but my dates were way off, first of all. The hospital insisted I was at 42 weeks and 2 days, and the midwives there threatened to drop me from their care unless I submitted to induction by AROM. I was 4cm dialated with off and on labor at that point. So I agreed, and it turned into an awful, long labor with a malpositioned baby. I actually pushed for 3 hours before doing another cesarean.

Anyway, the hospital experience I had was not very positive -- I couldn't STAND the constant EFM, even though it was a telemetry belt. And I made a huge mistake in not getting a good doula. I told myself next time would be different.

So this time I'm planning a homebirth with a midwife who lives 10 min from a major hospital. I live on an island with a tiny hospital, so we're birthing at her house in case we need to transfer quickly. I have a doula and also the midwife has an assistant, and they are so so so incredibly supportive it's amazing. They make me feel so great about everything, and about my choice. I love them.

DH is very supportive as well. He was also very disappointed that our last birth turned into a cbac... it was emotionally hard for both of us. He's probably the only DH who has ever said, "Man, I wish that baby would have come out of your vagina!!!"

I'm going for a vbac again rather than a repeat cesarean basically for two reasons: 1. I very strongly believe in the importance and power of natural childbirth for both mother and baby, and I believe that vbac (even vba2c) is essentially safe, with very low risk. 2. I can't imagine scheduling a cesarean unless I was at least at 42 weeks. If I would have scheduled a cesarean with my DD, who obviously wasn't ready to come out, she would have been over 3 weeks early, and probably only 6.5 lbs. I have 8.5-9 lb babies -- I think that's normal for me.

The journey of vbacing has changed me as a person. It's made me much more of an informed consumer of everything, health care being the first. I can't stand talking to doctors who use fear tactics to scare women away from vbacing... I've become very interested in the politics of vbac and childbirth, and really the state of modern maternity care in this country just infuriates me sometimes!! (sorry, soapbox!)

Anyway, I'm 39 weeks today, due next weekend. I'm feeling pretty confident about it... and super super ready to just DO it!!!

Count me in. I am attempting a VBAC at a hospital w/ midwife and doula. Midwife seems very supportive and pro-VBAC.

I believe in vaginal, natural birth and in the body's ability to do what is KNOWS!!!

I never dialated past 4 cm w/ DD...I was in labor for 34 hours THEN I had pitocin and epidural and then after 8 hrs of drugs I had only dialated 1 cm more. Midwife and dr. thought she was posterior and stuck.....

I think this birth has the potential to be very different and I have to give it a try as long as everything looks good (head down, etc). I am confident but open minded.

GOOD LUCK to everyone who is attmepting VBAC/HBAC...I hope we have LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of successful vbac's!

My last was c/s because the little bum flipped breech after induction. I HATED it. My liver metabolizes drugs really fast, so I need at least twice was is normally given, which goes for whatever the drugs they use for epidurals as well. Instead of a normal 3 hour recovery, I had to wait for SEVEN hours before I could move my toes!! Even worse they had my dates wrong so when they pulled her out the surgeon said "uh, this baby is NOT 3 weeks early, her skull is still in three pieces" then a NICU team ran out the door with her because her blood oxygen levels were too low.
The nurse from hell attended to me in recovery. She refused to allow anyone into the recovery area and also refused to call up to NICU to see what was happening with my daughter because they'd be "busy".
Recovery sucked. Who's bright idea was it to put the worlds stickiest tape over a surgical incision that happens to be right in pubic hair????? That was my biggest and most well reasoned fear during recovery.

Unless my son gets HUGE, which is looking more and more likely now that I can't get my GD numbers down into the safe zone, I should be able to do a VBAC. I've been very clear with my OB that the only way I'll agree to a c/s is in a situation where one of us would be very hurt otherwise. I'm 34 weeks and he's already 6 lbs. Induction is at most 3 weeks away.

Chelsea, i'm actually in your ICAN group, and I consider it to be an amazing resource full of inspiring women. Elaine and Maureen are really doing a wonderful thing!

My daughter was a VBAC due to surprise breech. My water broke at 3am, I was contracting by 7am, at the hospital by 4pm for a natural birth with a midwife and doula, pushing by 1am, baby was discovered to be breech at 5am after 4 hours of pushing with very little descent and a vag check that ended with, "...you wouldn't be having a bald baby, would you?" I was exhausted and terrified of breech complications and feeling hopeless, so I consented to the c-section. I had an amazing surgeon and a very quick recovery, but it definitely was not the peaceful, natural ending I wanted for a very natural pregnancy and labor.

I'm going for a VBAC at our local hospital with a midwife I trust and a combination of friend/doula labor sitting. This baby is decidedly head down, and we're monitoring him by super-quick ultrasound just to make sure. I'm having some prodromal labor in the evenings, so I'm hoping that this one will go a little faster.

After all, I had exactly the labor I wanted until the last 2 inches. Looking forward to seeing how that last 2 inches can change things for the better.

After all, I had exactly the labor I wanted until the last 2 inches. Looking forward to seeing how that last 2 inches can change things for the better.

Ha! That's a great way of looking at it. Pretty much true for me too.

My son was born in May 2006 by emergency c-section. I had a lovely unmedicated labor and everything went great up til the pushing stage, when he wasn't descending. I tried a lot of positions at first but somehow ended up in the classic "on my back in a curled C" with people holding my legs and I hated it, but was too out of it to really make any suggestions at that point. My OB broke my bag of waters and he went into distress, and they sectioned me. I feel it was an avoidable c-section, and that an experienced midwife could have helped me get him out of his slightly transverse position and down into the pelvis.

Anyway, I've been working hard preparing for my HBAC...I have a doula,
I'm using HypnoBabies to help me stay positive and relaxed, and I've been seeing a chiro to get my pelvis and ligaments into good alignment to try to ensure a better position for the baby this time.

I'm feeling good about my chances. And I've had four dreams now where I think I'm in early labor, but reach down and feel a head and I deliver the baby myself before anyone else can get there. So I figure that's a good sign (and a sign I should call my midwife as soon as I feel the first twinge!)

SAHM to 6.5yo DS and 4yo DD. PCOS with two early m/cs. Married 8 yrs. Certified birth doula, writer, editor.